Every story deserves a chance to be read
By partnering with Read for Youth Justice, libraries can lift up young people’s experience in the justice system and what they need to grow and thrive. Libraries can turn pages into action and connect communities with books, resources, and each other
Check out our webinar
October is Youth Justice Action Month! It also kicks off with Banned Books Week 2026, the annual campaign that celebrates the freedom to read, draws attention to banned and challenged books, and highlights persecuted individuals.
Thank you all for attending our webinar on Sept 22nd. The recording is here if you weren’t able to make it!
We’re on the radio now!
We were on the radio on DC’s WPFW and we’d love you to listen. The whole show is great but we were interviewed starting at 17:43.
#youmustlearn
WHY LIBRARIES
Did You Know?
The public often overestimates youth crime, creating fear-based narratives about young people.
Most people have little direct exposure to the realities of the youth justice system.
Youth voices are rarely included in policy discussions that affect them most.
Libraries are part of the solution as they are grounded in the idea that every person deserves access to knowledge, opportunity, and belonging. For justice-involved youth, libraries can offer something rare: a public space that sees them beyond stereotypes or past mistakes. By lifting up the experiences and voices of these young people, libraries help build empathy, reduce stigma, and strengthen communities rooted in equity, understanding, and hope.
Read the books that bear witness
YJAM 2026 READING LIST
NON FICTION
YOUNG ADULT
The Rage of Innocence
Dear Justyce
by Nic Stone
When you hear me (you hear us)
POETRY
by Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop.
YOUNG ADULT
Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
by Kristin Henning
We curated this reading list in collaboration with youth justice stakeholders across the country. We are grateful for all the input! Also thank you to Kristine Chan for volunteering to develop the interactive reading list for us!
Or download the PDF here
Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.
BRYAN STEVENSON
What Your Library Can Do
TAKE ACTION
BUILD THE COLLECTION
Order Read for Youth Justice titles, display them prominently, and defend them from censorship. Print and display this flyer along with some books from the RFYJ booklist in your library during the month of October.
HOST AN EVENT
Panel discussions, read-alouds, author talks, or community circles in October, during Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM). Include a youth justice film or podcast as part of your event.
SHARE THE LIST
Post the reading list on your website, newsletter, and social media with #Read for Youth Justice. Encourage book clubs to Read for Youth Justice.
REACH INSIDE
Partner w/ local juvenile facilities to bring books and resources to incarcerated youth. For help in connecting to local juvenile justice facilities and organizations, see our Resources list , use our sample newsletter text for your own, or just reach out to us.
Get sample text to support your community
Introduce your community to Read for Youth Justice, highlight featured titles from the reading list, and invite patrons to borrow, discuss, and take action. Use our sample text as a starting point for your newsletter, website, blog, or social media.
Review a Read for Youth Justice Book
Read something for Youth Justice Action Month? Tell us about it. We're collecting reader reviews of the Read for Youth Justice booklist to share throughout October. We want your take!
PARTNERS
Get In Touch
Want to get involved? Reach out by filling the form out!